Whereas , Of the 21 million children under age six in America, 13 million are in child care at least part time, and an additional 24 million school age children are in some form of child care outside of school time; and,

Whereas , By calling attention to the importance of high quality child care services for all children and families in our state, child care providers and organizations hope to improve the quality and availability of such services; and,

Whereas , The future of our state depends on the quality of the early childhood experiences provided to young children today; and,

Whereas , High quality early childhood services such as child care represent a worthy commitment to our children's future; and now therefore be it,

Resolved , That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of the State of Michigan, do hereby proclaim May 9, 2008, as Provider Appreciation Day in Michigan, and I encourage all citizens to join me in recognizing Michigan's child care providers for their many achievements and their important role in our Great Lakes State.